Louisa Douglas McCune (born 1970) is a philanthropy executive and magazine editor, working in the contemporary arts and animal well-being. She is the executive director of th
Kirkpatrick Foundation
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she is engaged with arts and culture, education, animal well-being, environmental conservation, and historic preservation. Under McCune's direction, the foundation has established two major animal well-being initiatives for the state of Oklahoma, to make the state "the safest and most humane place to be an animal by 2032" (launched in 2012), and to increase Oklahoma's cat and dog "live release" rate to 90 percent by 2025 (launched in 2018). Both of these efforts are a part of the foundation'
Safe & Humane
initiative. McCune is also the editor in chief and co-founder of
ArtDesk
', a contemporary arts magazine published quarterly by the Kirkpatrick Foundation. Her background in publishing and editing includes a thirteen-year term as editor in chief of ''

Oklahoma Today ''Oklahoma Today'' is the official magazine of the State of Oklahoma, United States, published in cooperation with the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation. It provides its readers the best of the state's people, places, travel, culture, ...

'' (1997-2011), preceded by an internship at ''

Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...

'' and freelance work for
The American Benefactor
',
Worth
', '' George'', ''

Mirabella ''Mirabella'' was a women's magazine published from June 1989 to April 2000. It was created by and named for Grace Mirabella, a former ''Vogue'' editor in chief, in partnership with Rupert Murdoch. It was originally published by News Corporati ...

'', ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'',
Green
', and ''Harper's Magazine's'' Franklin Square Press

'' Her first job in journalism was at the ''

Enid News & Eagle The ''Enid News & Eagle'' is a daily newspaper published Tuesday through Sunday in Enid, Oklahoma, United States. The publication covers several counties in northwest Oklahoma and is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. The newspaper also pr ...

'' (1994-1995)'','' as a general assignment reporter. McCune's most recent publishing project is
Love Can Be: A Literary Collection About Our Animals
' (Kirkpatrick Foundation, 2018)'','' which she co-edited with Teresa Miller. The book was distributed by the University of Oklahoma Press. McCune has often credited a number of influencers in her work, including Christian Keesee (chairman, Kirkpatrick Foundation), Steven Walker (principal
Walker Creative
, Joan Henderson (former publisher, ''

''), and Lewis Lapham (editor,

Lapham's Quarterly ''Lapham's Quarterly'' is a literary magazine established in 2007 by former '' Harper's Magazine'' editor Lewis H. Lapham. Each issue examines a theme using primary source material from history. The inaugural issue "States of War" contained doze ...

Education

McCune graduated from Enid High School in 1988 from her hometown of Enid, Oklahoma. She studied at

Colorado Mountain College Colorado Mountain College (CMC) is a public community college with multiple campuses in western Colorado. Founded in 1965, the institution offers numerous associate degrees, seven bachelor's degrees and a variety of career-technical certificates. ...

from 1988 to 1989, and then the University of Colorado, Boulder, from 1989 to 1990. In 1992 she graduated with a bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University.

Kirkpatrick Foundation

McCune joined th
Kirkpatrick Foundation
in April 2011 as executive director. She is also secretary of the Board (ex officio) for the foundation. In 2016 the foundation published
The Oklahoma Animal Study
' (for which McCune served as editor). It is the first comprehensive study of a geographic region and its animal population. In 2018, McCune oversaw the production of
Reporting Animal Cruelty
', a manual created for veterinarians to use when dealing with cases of animal cruelty. The original version of the manual was created b
Animal Folks Minneapolis
As part of the Kirkpatrick Foundation's Safe & Humane initiative, th
ANIMAL Conference of Ideas, Impact, and Inspiration
was established in 2015 as a triennial event, hosted and directed by McCune. Other conferences organized under McCune's direction include th
Save Lives. Unite Oklahoma
event in April 2018 and the Intersection conference fo
Oklahoma Link Coalition
where the "Animal Friendly" Oklahoma Specialty updated license plate was unveiled.

''Oklahoma Today''

From 1997 to 2011, McCune served as editor in chief of ''

'' magazine, a bimonthly print publication focused on the culture, food, places, people, and history of Oklahoma. Under her direction the magazine was awarded three

Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...

(SPJ) Best Magazine awards, two Magazine of the Year awards from th
International Regional Magazine Association
and other national and state-level recognition.

Publications

*
Love Can Be: A Literary Collection About Our Animals
', Co-Editor
''ArtDesk''
Editor in Chief *'' The Oklahoma Animal Study'', Editor *
Oklahoma Today
', Editor in Chief *'' National Geographic Traveler'', Contributor
''Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel''
Contributor *'' Reader's Digest'', Reprint *'' Worth'', Factchecker *'' The Oklahoman'', Opinion Contributor *''OKC Business'', Opinion Contributor *'' Journal Record'', Columnist *
OKC Pets Magazine
', Contributor *'' World Literature Today'', Contributor *''ZooSounds'', Contributor *
Voices from the Heartland
', Contributor In addition to contributions to these literary publications, McCune has judged the National Magazine Awards
Oklahoma Book Awards
and th

an award honoring college-level creativity.

Boards

Kirkpatrick Foundation
secretary of the board, ex officio
Philanthropy Southwest
board member
Animal Grantmakers
board member
Kirkpatrick Family Fund
advisory trustee
Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center
advisory trustee
Green Box Arts Festival
advisor
Wilson Arts
(past)
Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers
(past) * Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (past)
City Arts Center
(past)
Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice
(OKC Committee) (past)

Professional awards

* Community Service Award (Dialogue Institute of the Southwest, May 2014) * Pride of the Plainsmen Award (Enid High School, 2013) * Achiever Under 40 (The Journal Record, 2007) * Bill Thurman Memorial Media in the Arts Award at the Oklahoma Governor's Arts Awards (2003) * Forty Under 40 Oklahoma City Leaders (OKC Business, 2002) * Thirty Under 30 (

Magazine Publishers of America A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...

,1999)

Interests and Advocacy

McCune is an advocate for animal well-being, including farm animal welfare, particularly for pigs and chickens, rural communities, and fair markets for farmers and ranchers. She has also expressed opinions regarding private prisons and the over-incarceration of Oklahoma citizens. In 2016, McCune led a non-partisan public education initiative for Kirkpatrick Foundation related t
State Question 777
also known as Right to Farm. McCune has been a painter since her teenage years, crediting Alex Georges of Houston, Texas, with introducing her to the hobby. Over the years, she has exhibited paintings in Oklahoma City, once at a small salon showing in 2000 and again in 2018 a
JRB Art at the Elms

Personal life and accomplishments

McCune is the daughter of Edward Allison McCune (1930-2005), a surgeon, and Margaret Douglas Rucks McCune (b. 1935), a homemaker. Her great-grandfather, W.W. Rucks, was the co-founder of Oklahoma City's Wesley Hospital (1910), which went on to become Presbyterian Hospital (1964) and late
OU Medical Center
Her grandmother, Louise Earthman Rucks (1904-1989), wrote a column for thirty-six years about animals for ''The Daily Oklahoman'' called "Hound Hill", which is now the namesake for McCune's residence. McCune's paternal great-grandfather, John Starr Allison, was known as the pioneer town physician in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, for many decades until his death in 1955. Her paternal grandfather, Edward H. McCune, was an educator, recognized for his published works of poetry. He also coached Pretty Boy Floyd in basketball during his time in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. McCune is of Scottish descent. McCune has three older siblings: Joe McCune, a lawyer; Allison Davis, an entrepreneur; and Evelyn Stival, a homemaker. McCune is the mother of three sons, with whom she resides: McCune (Mac); Rucks; and Edward. Her eldest son appeared in a Flaming Lips film, ''

Christmas on Mars ''Christmas on Mars'' is a 2008 independent psychological science fiction film from the alternative rock band the Flaming Lips, written and directed by the band's frontman, Wayne Coyne, and featuring the entire band in the cast, as well as many ...

'', as "the baby", in a dream sequence with a Martian marching band. She was married to Chad Elmore from 2004 to 2015. From September 1992 to May 1993, McCune lived in West Africa, where she had temporary employment with Evergreen Helicopters on a World Health Organization project to eradicate

onchocerciasis Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm ''Onchocerca volvulus''. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindne ...

. McCune received her FAA Pilot's License in 1993. In 2002, she founded the Sallie McFarland Rucks Memorial Reader Series at Wilson Arts Elementary School in Oklahoma City. She is a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Oklahoma City. In 2006, McCune successfully nominated editor Lewis Lapham to the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame. In his letter of support, Kurt Vonnegut described Lapham's absence from the hall of fame as being akin to Babe Ruth not being in Cooperstown. He was inducted in February 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCune, Louisa 1970 births American editors American women editors Living people 21st-century American women Writers from Enid, Oklahoma Enid High School alumni